Holiday magic toy drive
November 6, 2020
Client

We’re thrilled to launch our annual Holiday Magic Toy Drive! Please consider donating unwrapped toys for distribution to needy and unhoused children in our community. This year, we’re partnering with Employment Connection—a registered 501(c)(3) that has been operating for over 40 years. 

In light of the global health pandemic, we are encouraging individuals to donate directly to Employment Connection via the Amazon and Target wish lists we created. For more details on our new partnership and process, please read our full letter below. If you’d like to make alternate arrangements, contact us at info@blattels.com. 

Thank you for considering supporting the virtual Holiday Magic Toy Drive—we couldn’t do this without you!


Warm regards, 
Donate Now - December 4
Update from Sts. Teresa & Bridget Parish
For many years, Blattel & Associates has helped organize a Holiday Magic Toy Drive with Sts. Teresa & Bridget Parish in North St. Louis. We have been amazed by the outpouring of support from you and our other community partners. Unfortunately, due to the global health pandemic, the parish has determined that they cannot safely collect and distribute toys this year. We still have a great relationship with the parish and hope to work with them again in the future.
Partnering with Employment Connection
Blattel & Associates is pleased to announce that we are partnering with Employment Connection this year. In addition to its job training and placement programs, Employment Connection offers eviction prevention, rapid rehousing, and mental health counseling services. Since 1977, this non-profit 501(c)(3) organization has served residents of St. Louis City and County as well as St. Clair County, with the majority of their clients in North St. Louis.
Urgent Need
The need for assistance is especially urgent this year due to increased job loss and school disruptions. Sal Martinez, Employment Connection CEO, said the “educational process has been compromised and has deeply impacted” families with school-aged children. According to the St. Louis Business Journal in 2019, “St. Louis has one of the nation's highest child poverty rates. . . New figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that nearly 40 percent of St. Louis' children live in poverty.”
Distribution of Toys
Because of the extensive services they offer, Employment Connection has a large network of needy clients. Their in-house specialists and counselors nominate clients to be considered as toy drive recipients. Once chosen, families schedule a time for pickup/drop-off of toys. This year, all COVID-related safety precautions will be taken to help limit exposure and social contact.
How to Help
In lieu of our usual process, this year we are encouraging individuals to donate toys directly to Employment Connection via the Amazon and Target wish lists we created. Employment Connection also accepts monetary donations made by check or online via PayPal.

Employment Connection cited an increased need for outdoor toys and winter outerwear, as well as supplementary learning tools such as board games and books. Bikes and scooters are hot ticket items, as well as diverse dolls and action figures.
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